February 10-11, 2018 Bend, OR Embodied Life Seminar

Strength to Love - Embodying Gratitude and Perseverance in Challenging Times

Dear Friends,

These are extraordinarily challenging and fertile times. Challenging because of the environmental, social and political battles being fought within and around us and fertile because of the environmental, social and political battles being fought within and around us.

While there are many human virtues/qualities that can be helpful for navigating our lives, I experience two that are particularly accessible, empowering and learnable. The first I call “Ever-Present Gratitude” and the second, “Courageous Perseverance”.

Large view - the mission of humanity is to learn how to Love. By Love, I do not mean something romantic. I am referring to a warm-hearted and protective caring for all of life. As you no doubt already know this takes great willingness, openness and strength. When this kind of Love – usually natural from parents toward infants - can become generalized toward all of life, we embody our deepest humanity. When, through awareness, we overcome the fear and confusion that often dominates our brains, this lovingness emerges as our natural and dominant state.

In this seminar, we will explore and experience the four primary doorways to gratitude. When these neural networks are strengthened, we can begin to uncover “Ever-Present Gratitude”. By “ever-present”, I do not mean that we are grateful 24/7. Rather, that when gratitude is not spontaneously available, we discover that it is not far away. Through perceptual/mental shifting, we can learn to invite its presence.

To be authentically caring beings, we need great inner strength, for the path is hard and the road rocky. We all have wounds and experiences that create and trigger our defensiveness. Often we might feel like giving up and withdrawing into our narrow comfort zone. In our closest relationships, we might experience moments of great antipathy, including anger and even hatred! “Courageous Perseverance” is a grounded, centered, energized, embodied state in which we find the capacity to pick ourselves up and move forward. It also includes our willingness to work through challenging situations.

Both “Ever-Present Gratitude” and “Courageous Perseverance” are learnable skills. I am not suggesting that this is simple or instantaneous. I am saying that ordinary people like you and me can grow these qualities.

Bio: Russell Delman began to study Zen meditation and somatic psychology in 1970 as an undergraduate student in psychology. His training and personal relationship with Moshe Feldenkrais began in 1975, and he has since helped train more than 2500 Feldenkrais teachers all over the world.

In recent years, Russell's close friendship with Eugene Gendlin ("Focusing") has strongly influenced his work.

Russell offers Seminars, Retreats and a 3 year Mentorship Program "The Embodied Life™".